


One More Yesterday (Sequel to Don't You See How I Worship You?)

by pebbles403



Category: Fall Out Boy
Genre: Drama, F/M, Fluff and Angst, I'm Bad At Summaries, I'm Bad At Tagging, Major Original Character(s), Mild S&M, Past Relationship(s), Relationship(s), Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-10-19
Updated: 2017-02-04
Packaged: 2018-08-23 11:23:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,754
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8325880
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pebbles403/pseuds/pebbles403
Summary: Patrick and Petra are trying to stay civil for their kids, will there ever be a happy ending for them?





	1. Birthdays Suck

Petra woke up sharply. It was the twins' fourth birthday. That meant that it had been three years since Patrick had left her. She sighed heavily as she got up and went to the kitchen to fix the kids breakfast. As she mixed the waffle batter up, she thought back to when she started to notice a change in Patrick.

***Flashback***

It was a month before the twins' first birthday and Patrick had been acting strange. He was less and less interested in the life that he had built with Petra. He was a fantastic father, don't misunderstand, he was just becoming very distant toward Petra. The result of his distance was Petra seeking some kind of answers and comfort from Pete. He understood Petra's concerns. She thought that Patrick might be cheating on her, but Pete had assured her that Patrick would never do such a thing. Maybe he was just overwhelmed with everything that had happened in the last (almost) two years.

***End Flashback***

Petra looked up as Pete came in the door quietly. He walked over to Petra and quickly kissed her on the lips. "Morning babe." He said smiling.

"Morning hon. You're here early."

"I wanted to see my girl before the festivities began."

She smiled as she poured some batter into the waffle maker. "Well then, you can make yourself useful. Get in the fridge and get out the ham please. You get to be fry master today."

He fake grumbled as he found the ham and put a few slices on the griddle. "So I have a question babe."

"I might have an answer for you."

She yelped as he swatted her ass. "Smart ass. My question is, when are we going to tell Patrick that we're seeing each other? I mean, everyone else knows but him."

"I don't know Pete. It's hard to even be in the same room as him still. Imagine how awkward it will be to tell him."

"It's gonna be awkward no matter how long we wait babe. We need to tell him. I'm tired of hiding this. I know that you're still in love with him, and I'm fine with that, but hiding us won't help anyone."

She nodded as they made plates up for themselves and the kids. As if on cue, both children entered the kitchen. "Morning mama!" They chorused in unison.

"Good morning my little darlings. Happy birthday!"

"Thank you mama." Jane said sweetly.

"Hey kiddos what about me?" Pete said with a mock-offended tone.

"Morning Pete!" They chimed.

"That's better. Happy birthday munchkins." He said hugging them both.

Both kids smiled through full mouths. Petra just shook her head as everyone ate.

After breakfast, Petra and Pete started setting up for the small party they were throwing for the kids. Andy came in the door and held it open for a very pregnant Margaret.

"Hey guys! Margie, you need to sit down woman. You look miserable today. OW! What was that for?!"

Petra glared at Pete as she smacked him again. "You don't tell a pregnant woman that she looks miserable you ass!"

"OW! Sorry!"

Andy and Margaret were still laughing as Joe and Macy came through the door with their little girls Nora and Allison. The adults started helping set up while the kids ran off to play.

"The only ones missing now are Patrick, Penny and your boys Pete." Petra said as she hung up some more streamers.

"Someone say my name?"

"Hey Penny! Hey Josh!"

"Hi Miss Petra. Hey daddy!" The boy ran and jumped into Pete's arms.

"Hey buddy. How are you doing?"

"Great!"

"Great! Go play with the others bud." Pete said kissing his son on the head.

Everyone sat and chatted while they waited on Patrick to arrive with Bronx and the cake. Twenty minutes later, they finally arrived. "Sorry we're late guys, the bakery wasn't finished with the cake, so Bronx and I had to kill some time."

He sat the cake in the kitchen, then sat across from Petra and smiled. "Hey. How are you?"

She awkwardly smiled back at him. "I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"Good. Good. Listen we need to talk later."

"Okay."

Several hours later, everyone was wrapping up their goodbyes and taking a little cake home with them. The twins were going to spend the night with Joe and Macy. Pete left with a whispered promise that he would be back later that night. Andy and Margie hugged everyone and left before Margie got too tired. She was due any day now. That left only Patrick and Petra in the apartment.

"Listen Petra, I just want to tell you that I'm truly sorry about how everything ended with us."

"Patrick, don't. We're both adults and as such, you have every right to live how you want to. I hate that we're no longer together, but that is something I'm working on moving on from."

"I know, but it was shitty how I left. You needed me and I was only thinking about myself. What I really needed to talk to you about though isn't how I left. I wanted to talk to you about you and the kids coming over to the house sometime next week and having dinner with me and my girlfriend Elisa."

Petra was shocked to say the least, but she put on a smile and hugged Patrick. "That's a great idea. What day would be the best for you?"

"Uh well, I'll have to ask Elisa when I get home. How about I call you later this week to set up a good day?"

"Sounds great!"

"Good. I'm going to head home now."

"Okay. Have a good night Patrick."

Once he left, Petra fell onto the sofa and let the tears fall freely. When Pete returned a few hours later, that is exactly where he found her.


	2. New Girl in Town

Petra was hesitant to knock on the apartment door in front of her. It was the night that her and the twins got to meet Patrick's new girlfriend Elisa. She was not looking forward to this. She had made the kids promise to be on their best behavior. Finally Petra forced herself to knock on the door. Patrick opened it after a few seconds.

"Daddy!" Both children yelled as they lunged at him.

"Hey guys. How are my two little angels doing?"

"Great daddy! Mama and Pete took us to the park yesterday!" Malcolm said.

"Oh they did huh? I bet you had fun."

"We did! Lots of fun!" Jane interjected.

"Awesome, and how are you Petra?" He asked seriously.

"I'm good. Just taking care of our little hellions." She chuckled.

He smiled. "Well come on inside. Let's get the introductions out of the way."

He led them into the living room where Elisa was standing, waiting for them. She crossed the room and held her hand out to Petra. "Hello. It's so nice to meet you. I'm Elisa."

Petra shook the raven-haired woman's hand. "I'm Petra. Pleased to meet you."

Elisa looked at the kids. "And you must be Jane and Malcolm. You're daddy has told me so much about you two."

Jane frowned. "He hasn't told us about you."

"Jane Marie Stump! You apologize this instant! That was very rude." Petra scolded.

The little girl looked at Elisa. "I'm sorry."

Elisa smiled in return. "It's okay. I understand that it's hard to meet someone new."

After the awkward greetings, everyone went into the dining room to have lunch. The conversation was light and not near as awkward as Petra had imagined it would be. Elisa was a pleasant woman. Petra had hoped that she would be terrible, so she could hate her with a clear conscience. She couldn't hate this woman though, she was perfect for Patrick.

When it came time to leave, the kids asked if they could stay the night with their daddy. Of course the answer was yes. Petra thought it would be good for the kids to get used to the idea of Elisa being around. She said her goodbyes and headed home. When she got there, Pete had already let himself in.

"Hey babe. How was the lunch date?"

"It was fine. I wish I could say that she's a bitch, but alas, she's wonderful. She's like June fucking Cleaver."

Pete put his arms around Petra and kissed her head. "So she's nice. What do the kids think about her?"

Petra wriggled out of his grasp and went to the bathroom and started running a bubble bath. "They like her well enough."

"I hope that wasn't jealousy I just heard in your voice babe."

"What if they start liking her better than me? What if they decide that they want to live with Patrick full time? Pete I'll die if my kids aren't with me." She said as she undressed and slipped into the bubble-filled tub.

Pete peeled his clothes off and slid in behind her. "They would never like her better than you. You're their mother and the love you to the moon and back."

"The thought still scares the shit out of me."

"That's understandable babe. You've had disappointments galore in your life. I do have a question though."

"I might have an answer." She giggled as he tickled her sides.

"Well since Patrick has a new girlfriend, do you think that we can finally tell him about us?"

Petra sighed. "I suppose it can't hurt now. He'll find out eventually. We might as well tell him before someone else does."

"You-you're not ashamed of us are you Petra?"

"Of course not Pete! I just didn't want to make things awkward. He's your best friend and my ex fiancee."

"I know babe, but I'm just tired of hiding us from the world for fear that if someone gets a picture of us together, that it'll get back to Patrick and then something would happen."

"I am too. How about we tell him tomorrow when he drops the kids off?"

"That sounds great to me. Now let's work on that tension you're carrying around in your shoulders." He said as he kissed her neck and his hands slid down her sides.

She sighed in contentment. "You're such a pervert."

"You love it babe."

The next morning, they didn't get a chance to tell Patrick anything. They were woken up by very loud, very angry knocking. Stumbling out of bed, they dressed quickly and went to answer the door. The second Petra opened it, Patrick shot inside like a bullet.

"What the hell is this shit?"

Petra looked at him incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"This shit with you and Pete! How long have you two been seeing each other?"

Pete stepped between Petra and Patrick. "What business is it of yours?"

"It's my business as long as it involves my kids asshole!"

Petra got in Patrick's face. "You know damn well that this has nothing to do with the kids! You're just mad that I'm moving on and that it's with Pete!"

Patrick just stood with his mouth agape. Petra walked to the door and jerked it open violently. "Get out of my apartment Patrick."

He walked to the door angrily. "This conversation isn't over. The kids are at Andy's house."

Petra slammed the door in his face. "Goddammit! Who the fuck does he think he is?"

Pete came behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "No clue babe. On the bright side, at least he knows about us now."

"Yes he does and now I'm pissed off."

"Let's go get the kids and we'll go do something together. We'll get Bronx and Josh too."

Petra smiled at him. "Okay Pete, let's have a family day."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that this sequel will live up to everyone's expectations. Thank you for reading. I'll give some background on how Petra and Pete got together in a few chapters, along with Petra and Patrick's break-up.


	3. Who Does She Think She Is?

Patrick stormed to his car and violently pulled out of the parking space. 'How could she be with Pete? He's my best friend! He's not supposed to do this to me! Fuck both of them! How dare she say it's not my business? I only found out because the kids told me.'

 

***The night before***

Patrick and Elisa were playing a board game with the kids. They seemed to really like Elisa. He was grateful for that. He had hoped they would. She's great though, how could they not? His thoughts were interrupted when Malcolm started talking to him.

"Daddy, is Miss Elisa gonna sleep over?"

"Uh yeah buddy she is. She lives here with me."

"Kinda like Pete?"

"What do you mean Malcolm?"

"Pete sleeps over a lot."

"You mean like on the sofa?"

Jane looked up. "No daddy. They sleep in bed together. He makes us oatmeal when we wake before mommy gets up."

Patrick saw red. In a calm voice, he told the kids that they would be going to their uncle Andy's house in the morning.

***Present Day***

 

Patrick made it home and Elisa met him at the door.

"Why did you go over there like that Patrick?"

"I'm sorry Elisa. I'm just mad as hell. How the hell could they do this?"

"Who cares if they are seeing each other? It means that she's moving on. I thought you of all people would be happy about that."

"I don't care that she's moving on, I care that it's with fucking Pete!"

"So your real problem is that she's seeing your best friend?"

"Yes!"

"Why? Don't they deserve to be happy?"

"Well yes, but they still should have said something, anything to me."

Elisa rolled her eyes. "I'm not saying anything else about this. I've got to get to work. You need to talk to someone who knows both Petra and Pete better than I do. I'll see you when I get off work."

Elisa pecked Patrick on the cheek and left him alone in the apartment with his thoughts. He was still fuming. He felt betrayed and downright mad at his best friend and ex. They knew what they were doing. She knew that he'd be angry that she was seeing Pete. She did this just to get back at him for how he ended their relationship. Well fuck both of them. He left the house and got back into his car. He needed to talk. Joe would listen to his concerns.

Joe was chasing Nora and Allison around the house. Both little girls were screaming and laughing as they ran from daddy. Macy came into the living room. "Hey guys, lunch is ready."

"What's for lunch babe?" Joe asked kissing her cheek soundly.

"I made cheddar broccoli soup from scratch and croque-monsieurs."

"Why don't you just say ham and cheese sandwiches?" He chuckled.

"Because it's not just a ham and cheese sandwich."

He rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say dear."

"Tuck in everyone." Macy said smiling.

Joe looked around the table at his family and smiled. He loved them all so much. He had a wonderful wife and two beautiful little girls. Life really couldn't get any better.

"Joe dear, I need to talk to you once we finish up with lunch."

"Is everything okay Macy?"

"Everything's fine. Oh hell, I'll just go ahead and tell you. I'm pregnant!"

Joe dropped his spoon into his soup and jumped up from the table. He scurried around the table to Macy and grabbed her up into a giant bear hug. "Oh my god! I'm so happy!"

"Mama. What does pwegnant mean?" Nora asked.

"It means that you girls are going to have a baby brother or sister in a few months."

Nora nodded sagely. "So I'm gonna be a big sissew?"

"Yep."

"Cool!"

The family's happiness and celebration were interrupted by someone ringing the door bell. Joe grumbled as he went to answer it. When he opened the door, he found himself face to face with Petra and Pete.

"Hey fro-man. Sorry to come over on such short notice, but we needed to talk to you. We got a very rude awakening this morning."

"What happened bratzilla?"

"Patrick found out about Pete and I. He came storming in and yelled. A LOT. I kicked him out, but I highly doubt that he's finished yelling."

"Tell him to go fuck himself. He's got a new girlfriend. Who the fuck is he to tell you ho you can and can't be with?"

"I agree, I'm just worried about what he might say to the kids. I don't want them to hate me."

"They'll never hate you. You're a great mother. Look, I'll talk to Patrick. You go spend some time with your kids. We love you guys."

Petra hugged Joe tightly. "Love you too. Thank you fro-man."

"You're welcome bratzilla."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you like this chapter. Things will get better I promise. Everything will be explained fully soon. Just enjoy the drama-filled ride. :D
> 
> Thanks for reading!!


	4. Hard Conversations

Joe had just dropped the girls off with his mother and was on his way back home. Pulling out his cellphone, he dialed Patrick's number. He finally answered the second time Joe called.

"Hey Joe."

"You need to meet me at my house."

"I'm already her. Didn't see your car, so I figured that I'd just wait here for you."

"Good. We need to talk."

"I couldn't agree more Joe."

Once they hung up, Joe called Macy to let her know that Patrick was going to be inside with him soon. She wasn't happy about it seeing as he had broke her best friends heart, but she promised Joe that she would try to be nice while he was there. As he pulled into his driveway, he saw Patrick immediately get out of his car and meet him at the door.

"Thanks for letting me come over man. I really need a new perspective on what's going on."

"You mean you finding out about Pete and Petra?" He said letting himself and Patrick inside.

"How do you know about that?"

"Everyone but you knew. They were trying to find the right time and place to tell you."

"So how long have they been a couple?"

"About a year now. I'm honestly surprised that Pete hasn't moved her and the kids into his place yet."

"This is some bullshit! How could they do this to me?"

Joe looked at him incredulously. "How could they do what to you? Move on with their lives? Be with each other? Or maybe it was just the fact that Petra is finally happy after hurricane Patrick ran through her life and destroyed it?"

"What the hell are you talking about Joe?"

"I'm talking about the fact that it seems like you were only with her until she had babies. It's like you just threw up your hands and said 'Oh well. I'm a daddy now. I don't need her anymore!' It's a load of bullshit and you know it Patrick!"

"That's not what happened at all!"

Macy rounded the corner and squared up against Patrick. "Oh really? Because Petra called me crying for a fucking month after you left her! She was so depressed that she thought about trying to kill herself again! Did you know that? Did you even care that she was completely lost without you? Did you know that she had to force herself to take care of her and the kids because of you? Did you know that you were her life? Do you even care about her? How dare you say she has done something wrong! She deserves to be happy Patrick Stump! And if it's not with you, then all the better. You ruined her life!"

Patrick was taken aback. "I didn't know what to do Macy! She was falling into a depression again! I thought maybe I could make her see that life could be worse. She has the kids and she had me!"

"So you left her when she needed you the most? God you really are an asshole. She needed you and you left her!" Joe yelled.

"I didn't want to leave, but I was hoping that it would cause reality to dawn on her and then maybe she'd go to the doctor about it! She refused everytime I mentioned it! I knew I had really lost her though when she sent back the ring."

"If you really felt that way, why didn't you tell her? She was so over the moon for you Patrick!" Macy said angrily.

"Not felt, feel. I'm still totally in love with her. No one could ever take her place."

"That's why you're so upset about her and Pete being together. It has nothing to do with them. It's all about your goddamn ego! You're just mad that she is not going along with your predetermined scenario. You're afraid that she's really moving on."

"Of course I'm mad Joe! I love her. It kills me everyday that we aren't together anymore. She's the love of my life, and she hates me now I just know it."

"Why are you with someone new then?"

"I guess I'm trying to move on too. Petra doesn't want anything to do with me. I've felt the tension between us all these years. I've lost the one person who gives my life any major meaning, aside from my kids."

"You only have yourself to blame for that Patrick."

"I know I just wish there was something I could do to make things up to her."

Macy frowned. "Good luck with that. She's happy with Pete. Do not mess this up for her. I mean it. If you really love her like you say you do, then you'll let her be happy."

Patrick hung his head and nodded. He knew Joe and Macy were right. Petra deserved to be happy, even if it was with Pete. It didn't stop the aching in his chest every time he thought about her though. He knew that he fucked up, and he would so anything to make it right. He needed Petra back, but he wasn't willing to risk his friendship with Pete, or Petra's happiness. He needed to start apologizing to both of them.

 

Petra was sitting in Pete's car fuming. She was mad as hell at Patrick. Who the hell did he think he was? He was the one who walked out on her when she needed him the most. He was the one who left because he couldn't handle being around her when she was depressed. How dare he have the nerve to act like an ass because she was now seeing Pete.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Pete returning to the car. "Hey babe. Ready to go get the kids?"

"Yeah. I just hope they don't notice how pissed off I am at their dad."

"Well to be fair, we should have told him sooner."

"I know that Pete, but he still shouldn't have flow off the handle like he did. I'm a grown ass woman who can make her own decisions."

"I know that babe. I'm just trying to see things from his point of view."

"What I want to know is why he got so mad about us being together, but yet he was the one who left me three fucking years ago!"

"Maybe you should ask him."

"Maybe you're brain damaged Pete."

"That's not nice."

"I know. I'm sorry hon. I just really don't want to talk to him right now. I might punch him in that fucking beautiful face of his."

"I'm not saying today babe. I'm saying that maybe you two should go to lunch together or go get some coffee and talk about all of this. I mean really talk about it. Maybe he had a reason for what he did."

"Maybe so, but today I really just want to be with you and the kids and not think about Patrick anymore. I need time to think."

"I know babe. Let's go get the kids."

"Okay Pete. You know I really appreciate everything you do for me. You've been my rock these past three years."

"I know. I understand what it's like being a prisoner inside your own head sometimes."

Petra smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek. The rest of the day was going to be great. She would see to that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for the long wait on this chapter. I'm trying to get some inspiration for this story, but I'm running a little dry in that well right now. As always I thank everyone who is still reading my material. Thank you thank you thank you!!!!! Enjoy!


	5. Easier Conversations

Petra lay in bed looking at her phone. She knew that she and Patrick needed to talk, but she really just did not want to call him. Luckily, right at that moment her phone rang. She groaned as she answered it.

"Hey old man."

"Hey little one. You up for some brother/sister quality time today?"

"Sounds great to me. I need to get out of this house for a bit. Tattoos and vegan food?"

"What else would we do?" He said chuckling.

"Great! When will you be over here to get me then?"

"In about a half an hour."

"Awesome! See you then Andy."

Petra rolled out of bed and hopped in the shower quickly. As soon as she stepped out of the bathroom, she saw a missed call on her phone. It was Patrick. Sighing heavily, she dialed his number as she dressed.

"Hello?"

"It's Petra. I saw that I missed your call."

"Yeah. I was calling in hopes that we could get together sometime today and have a talk."

"I can't today. I just made plans for some sibling bonding with Andy. How about tomorrow sometime?"

"I'm free tomorrow. Do you want to meet at the cafe down the street here around one?"

"Yeah. That's fine."

"Okay great! I'll see you tomorrow then."

"See you then. Bye."

She hung up quickly and finished dressing just in time to hear Andy knocking on her front door. Twenty minutes later, they were inside their favorite tattoo parlor relaxing to the sounds of the buzzing tattoo guns. Andy turned to Petra as best he could while both were in the tattooing chairs. "So little one, how are things going with you?"

"They would be a lot better if I didn't have a lunch date with Patrick tomorrow."

"Why is that a bad thing? I thought you wanted to bury the hatchet with him."

"I do, but I just don't feel like dealing with him right now. After the other day when he barged in on Pete and I, I just really haven't wanted to talk to him. He seems to think that he gets a say in who I date. He left me, not the other way around, so why would he act like this?"

"Have you thought that maybe he still loves you? Maybe he's realizing the huge mistake he made and was hoping that you would see that he does still love you."

"I didn't think about that Andy. Why would he start seeing someone else though?"

"Maybe he thought he was over you, but realized that he wasn't when he found out about you and Pete."

"His train of thought scares me sometimes. Why would he suddenly want to show all this emotion?"

"I have no idea little one. You need to ask him that when you go to lunch with him tomorrow."

Several hours later, Petra was back home with new ink on her shoulder blades. Pete and all their kids were in the living room playing a board game while Petra made dinner. She continued to think about what Andy had said in the tattoo parlor. Maybe he was right about Patrick. Maybe they could bury the hatchet properly. Patrick would certainly let his intentions be known at lunch tomorrow.

"Whatcha thinking about babe?"

Petra jumped slightly. "Worrying about my lunch date with Patrick tomorrow."

"Why are you worrying? It's just Patrick. It's not like he's gonna go ape shit and murder you or anything."

She chuckled. "I know that Pete. I'm just still not ready for the confrontation. I really don't care what his motives were. I just want him to know how much he truly hurt me."

"That makes sense. Just don't be too hard on him. He made a huge mistake, but he is still the father of your children."

"Pete, I know that. I also know that he's your best friend. You stand to lose just as much as I do if things go bad tomorrow. You're just as torn as I am about all of this, and neither one of us want him to hate us. Lord knows I don't want to hate him."

"He won't hate us, and you hating him is a personal choice. You are fully entitled to hate him, seeing as how he left you and the kids three years ago, but we both know that you don't nor have you ever hated him. You might have hated his decisions, but you don't hate him. I know you still love him, and you know you still love him. You and I have some hard decisions to make though."

"You're not over Penny are you Pete?"

"Not in the slightest. I believe that she's my one, just like I know you still believe that Patrick is your one, but you and I needed all of this so much."

"Needed what exactly?"

"The mutual love and comfort, but the time for all of that is over I think."

"Pete, are you breaking up with me?"

"I'm not sure. I mean look at us, we're together, but we're both pining after our exes. I love you and I know you love me, but we both know that this pales in comparison to what you had with Patrick and what I had with Penny."

Petra sighed heavily. "I know Pete. I think I've known that you and I were kind of over for a while now, I just didn't want to admit it. I didn't want either of us to get hurt."

"Do either one of us act like this is a bad thing? Neither one of us is broken up about us ending. I think we need to cut our losses and break this off while we're both in a good place. We both have some things to do to make our lives right again. That means you need to talk honestly with Patrick tomorrow."

"And you need to call Penny and talk honestly with her."

"Yes I do. I'm sorry about all of this Petra."

"What's there to be sorry about Pete? We needed each other. This is a mutual thing here. Are you upset about it all?"

"I mean I'm upset a little about having another failed relationship."

"Pete this is not a failure. We each took what we needed when we needed it the most. We still love each other and don't get me started on the fantastic sex, but we both know that this isn't what either of us need anymore."

"You're right. We make better friends. I do have one question though."

"What's that?"

"Can me and the boys go ahead and stay the night?"

"Of course you guys can! Dear god Pete, you're so damaged."

"Oh like you aren't?"

They laughed together as they finished making dinner. Tomorrow was going to be a busy day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope everyone is still enjoying the story. I know I'm only kind of getting one update a week done, I'm trying to do more than that, but I've had a small bit of writers block on this story already. I plan on this getting to a mature rating soon though. Sorry smut is one of my writing loves. Thank you to everyone reading this. Feel free to leave me comments, kudos, favorites or anything else that you feel is necessary!


	6. What Happened to Us?

Patrick lay in bed trying to get up the nerve to get up and get dressed for the day. He had lunch plans with Petra and he was ridiculously nervous. Almost as nervous as he used to be around her before they became a couple. God he missed her. He missed the way he would wake up with his face buried in her short red hair. He missed the smell of her citrus body spray. He missed running his hands over her soft, pale skin. He just missed everything about her.

He grunted as he go out of bed. Elisa had already gone to work for the day, so he didn't have to hear her bombard him with questions about his mood. He loved Elisa, but he knew that his life would never be complete without Petra and the kids. Elisa made him happy, but something was missing and he knew it. He needed to break it off with Elisa. It wasn't fair to string her along when he knew that he was still in love with Petra. He could only hope that she would take it well. He looked at his clock and swore. He scurried around trying to get dressed quickly. He was running late for his luncheon with his ex.

Petra looked at her watch in annoyance. Patrick was supposed to be here ten minutes ago. Somehow she just knew that he would be late. That man always ran late. He was like the white rabbit from 'Alice in Wonderland'. Perpetually late for everything. She looked up as he slid into the booth across from her panting slightly. "I'm so sorry I'm late. I got up late and ran all the way here."

"I figured as much. You'll probably be late to your own damn funeral someday." She chuckled.

"Yes I probably will be."

Before either of them could say anything else, the waiter showed up to take their orders. The couple sat in awkward silence while they waited on their food and drink. Petra hated it. They had always been able to talk so freely, but now it seemed that they were hollow shells of what they used to be. The tension lifted a bit once their food made it to the table. Eating in silence, both parties looked at each other here and there. Finally Patrick cleared his throat and spoke up, breaking the silence that hung over them.

"Look, Petra. We need to get everything out in the open. I have been a major asshole to you. I should have never acted the way I did when I found out about you and Pete. We aren't together anymore and I need to respect your decisions. You're moving on and so am I. You deserve to be happy, and I'm not going to put up a fight about that, even if that happiness is with Pete."

"Pete and I broke up."

Patrick almost choked on his tea. "What?! I thought you two were happy together."

"We were, but we also knew that what we had was temporary. He's not over Penny. We knew that our relationship was just a belated rebound."

"Why did you get together then?"

"We needed each other. We needed the companionship, the love and the chance to try and work through our issues a bit. I was a wreck when you left me Patrick. Pete and the kids are literally the only things that have held me together these last three years."

"I'm truly sorry that I hurt you."

"No, you destroyed me. I trusted you with my life and you threw that away like it meant nothing to you! I didn't eat for days after you left! The thought of the kids growing up without their mother finally snapped me out of it. I knew that I had to get better and be healthy for them. I knew that I couldn't take care of them without taking care of myself too."

"I really am sorry. I just thought that since you wouldn't go to the doctor when I would bring it up, maybe me leaving would make you come around and realize that you needed help. I don't know what I was thinking."

"You have the most fucked up logic sometimes Patrick."

"I know I do. I never meant to hurt you Pet."

Petra sucked in a harsh breath. "That's the first time you've called me Pet since before you left."

"I guess it is. I just miss you so much."

"What's really going on with you? Are you trying to tell me something that I'm not going to like? Are you and Elisa getting married?"

"What? No! To tell you the truth, I think that I'm going to break things off with her. I don't love her like she deserves to be loved."

"Well at least you see the problem before it gets too serious between you two. I mean I know that you're already living together and that's pretty serious."

Patrick cut her off. "You're still adorable when you ramble like that." Petra blushed as he continued. "To be totally honest, Elisa and I are only halfway living together. We both have our own apartments, but we stay together at mine mostly."

Petra raised her eyebrows. "I thought you two had moved in together fully."

"Nope. We've both been hesitant for some reason. I think neither one of us wants to move too fast and upset the twins."

She scoffed. "The kids will be fine and you know it. What's the real reason Stump?"

"I-I still love you. I'm still head over heels, madly in love with you. You are everything to me!"

Petra sat there quietly. She couldn't bring herself to tell him that she felt the same way. She didn't want to get hurt again. They had moved so fast last time that neither of them had time to think everything through. She cleared her throat as they got up to leave. "I'm glad that we had this talk Patrick. We needed to clear the air."

Patrick sighed, knowing that Petra was going to ignore his declaration of love. "Yes we did."

They stood together in the cool Chicago air, neither of them sure how to say goodbye. They looked at each other and both started to speak, laughing when they tried to let the other speak first. They looked at each other as the moment overtook them. Patrick tipped Petra's face up and placed a tender kiss on her lips. Before either one knew what had happened, their arms were wrapped around each other as their sweet kiss turned passionate in a matter of seconds.

Petra pulled away quickly when she felt Patrick pull her close to him. She felt the heat radiating off of his body. She mumbled a quick 'goodbye' and ran away from him. He had no idea what had just happened to them, but that kiss had been amazing.

Once Petra made it home, she quickly closed and locked the door, leaning heavily against it. She had fucked up so bad. That kiss was leading to feelings that she didn't want to feel right now. Of course she wanted Patrick back, but the wounds, even three years old were still so tender. She couldn't let her emotions get the better of her just yet. She shook her head as if to clear her thoughts and retreated to her bedroom to think. Things were just moving way too fast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lookie here I've updated much faster this time. XD Thank you everyone for still sticking with me. One of the next chapters is gonna get a bit smutty. Just a heads up. Hope you enjoy this chapter!


	7. What the Hell?

As Patrick made his way home, he kept thinking about the kiss that he had shared with Petra the previous week. He still hadn't told Elisa what had happened. He felt terrible about it, but what was done was done. He couldn't turn back time. He could however, push forward and try to fix the mistake he had made three years prior. Hopefully Elisa would understand that they just weren't meant to be together. He didn't want to hurt her, but he knew that avoiding confrontation with her would eat away at him. She didn't deserve to be led on. He had made up his mind, he would break things off with Elisa when he made it home.

Petra sat at her computer working on her column while the kids were at Pre-K. She wasn't able to concentrate on her work. Her mind kept returning to the kiss that she and Patrick had shared last week. She had felt the passion in it. He either missed her, or just wanted to get into her pants for old times sake. Surely he didn't just want to fuck her. He had a girlfriend. If all he wanted was a fuck, then he could get that anytime. She needed a fresh perspective on things. She grabbed her wallet, phone and keys and left to go talk to Macy.

Patrick stood in front of his door, afraid to go inside his own apartment. He knew that it was now or never though. He squared his shoulders and went inside. He was greeted with the sight of Elisa's bags packed and sitting in the hall. She was sitting in the living room waiting patiently for him. She looked up and smiled sadly as he sat in the recliner across from her.

"I've been waiting for you to get home Patrick. We need to talk."

"I agree, but it looks like you already know what's going to happen."

"I know you still love Petra. I saw it on your face when she and the kids were here a few weeks ago. I also saw the jealousy when you found out that she and Pete were seeing each other. I know that's why you were so angry about them being together. I also know that is the reason you've gotten distant this last week and a half."

Patrick hung his head. "I'm so sorry Elisa. I didn't want things to end this way between us. I thought I was over her, but I was only fooling myself. I love her. My life is incomplete without her and the kids."

Elisa smiled and reached out to stroke his cheek. "I understand Patrick. You need to try and make amends with her. You owe it to her and your children. They need happy parents. and neither of you will be fully happy until you are together again."

She stood up and walked toward her bags in the hall. He crossed the room quickly and put his hand on her shoulder and turned her to face him. He looked at her sadly and gently kissed her lips. "I do love you Elisa, and I'm sorry about all of this."

"I love you too Patrick. Go make things right with Petra. You deserve to be happy with the mother of your children."

Patrick watched as she left. He knew he should be broken up about his relationship ending, but he felt a small sense of relief instead. He didn't feel confident enough in his current emotional state to call Petra though. He needed time to think. He knew one thing though, Petra still felt something for him. That kiss had proven that to him. He only hoped that it wasn't too late to get her back.

Macy and Petra sat in the kitchen, mugs of tea in hand. Petra had been relaying everything that had happened in the last two weeks to Macy. Once she finished talking, Macy sat her tea down and took a deep breath. "Do you still love him Petra?"

"You know I do Mace. Honestly there's nothing I want more than for us to be together again. I'm just worried that something bad will happen again. I don't want the kids to resent either of us."

"That's understandable. I don't trust him still, but then again, I was there during your depression after he left. I think you deserve better than him honestly. On the other hand, I trust your judgement and your feelings. If you still have feelings for hims, then you need to explore them. I'm not saying to go running back to him. What I am saying is let him romance you again. Let him prove that he really does love you. Let him prove that he's willing to go the distance again. Take your time and really learn about each other. I know that you two have known each other for many, many years, but as lovers, you really don't fully know each other. You two need to be fully open and honest with yourselves and each other."

"Thanks Mace. I know that you don't really like him anymore, but I've known him almost my entire life. He used to be the one person that I would go to if I had any problems. I've been in love with him since I was fifteen. I just want us to go back to the couple that we were. We were so devoted to each other. We were so in love. We were crazy about each other. We were so passionate about our relationship. We could openly talk about almost anything. I really believe that Patrick is the love of my life."

Macy took Petra's hand in hers. "I hope that you can reclaim that. You deserve happiness Petra. You deserve someone who is going to do everything they can to make you happy."

Petra looked at her watch. "Thanks for the talk Macy, but I've got to go pick up the kids." She hugged her best friend and ran out the door. On her way to get the kids, she called Patrick.

"Hello?"

"Patrick, we need to talk. Will you come over tonight for dinner with me and the kids?"

"Uh sure. Do I need to bring anything?"

"Not really. If you want to bring something, make sure it goes with sushi and shrimp rolls."

"You're going to make sushi?"

"Yep."

"Labor intensive much?"

"Just shut up and be at the house by 6 tonight."

"Sure thing. See you then."

Petra smiled as she pulled into the school's parking lot. She actually couldn't wait for 6 pm to get here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait. I have a few more chapters written, they're just not typed yet. Thanks to everyone reading this story. You are what is keeping it alive. :D Stay tuned for more fun guys!


	8. Unresolved Tensions Released

Petra was hurrying around the kitchen zipping around the kids who were trying to "help" her make dinner. She hadn't told them that their daddy would be there. She wanted to surprise them. The two tiny four year olds were trying to be helpful though. Petra went into the dining room and saw that they had used their play dinner set to set up the table. She chuckled as she looked at the table and saw three little plastic plates, cups and sets of silverware had been set up where they usually ate. They were so cute. The doorbell rang and Petra pulled herself away from the adorable scene to go let Patrick in. She opened the door to see her smiling ex waiting patiently for her.

"Hey stranger. You look like the sushi has got the best of you."

She nodded as she let him inside. "I've been making the rolls up for the last hour and a half. I still have half of them left to make. You know how much the kids love sushi."

"Well you ate enough of it when you were pregnant with them. I'm not surprised that they love it. How about I help you finish up?"

"Sounds like a plan."

As they rounded the corner into the kitchen, the kids looked up and ran excitedly to Patrick. "Daddy!"

"Hey kiddos. How are you?"

"Great! Where's miss Elisa?" Malcolm asked furrowing his little brow.

"She and I aren't together anymore buddy."

"That's sad daddy. She was nice." Jane said.

"It's okay. I'd rather hang out with you guys and mommy."

Petra shook her head and started back up on the sushi. Patrick sent the kids to their room for a bit while they finished dinner preparations. As they rolled the sushi and shrimp rolls, they chatted contentedly.

"So why did you and Elisa break up?"

"She and I both knew that my heart wasn't in the relationship. Like I said the other day, I'm still in love with you. I can't change that and honestly I don't want to. I want to try again with you. I should have never left you. You are my world Pet."

"Patrick, I still love you too, but if we were to try again, I'm not sure I could handle it. I don't want a repeat of last time we were together. You destroyed any trust we had built when you left like you did."

"I know and I'll spend the rest of my life making it up to you, if only you'll give me the chance."

"I don't know if I'm ready for that yet. I do want to get our friendship back to what it was though. I'm tired of us being like strangers when we're in a room together. Once upon a time you were my best friend in the whole world. I would love to have that back."

Patrick sighed softly as they finished making dinner. "I would too. I miss us. I miss waking up next to you everyday. I miss how we would talk all night long. I just miss you."

"And I miss you too Patrick, I just still don't trust you yet. I want to give you another chance, but you've got to earn it. I'm not going to just jump right in with both feet again."

Patrick nodded as he helped her set the table properly. "Did the kids set the table before I got here?"

"Yep. I thought it was cute."

"They tried so hard to help you Pet."

"They did. It'll be easier to eat with normal sized plates though."

"Back to what we were talking about, I completely understand what you're saying Pet. I know that I've messed up, but like I said, I'll do anything to make things right between us again. I'm going to prove that to you."

They called the kids into the dining room and sat down to eat. Petra and Patrick chuckled as they tried to teach the kids how to use chopsticks. Try as they might, their little fingers just couldn't hold them. They finally gave up and used their hands to eat. Patrick had brought a bottle of wine along with the vegan cheesecake, so he and Petra were getting a bit giggly as the meal wore on.

After dinner and they kids' bath, Petra and Patrick put the kids to bed together, something that they hadn't done in years. As they got comfortable in the living room, Petra looked at Patrick and smirked. "You feel up to watching Ghostbusters like we used to?"

"Only if you're up to watching Ghostbusters 2 when we finish it."

"You know me so well Trick."

She got up to go get her copies of the movies, and Patrick laid a thick blanket down on the floor for them. She popped the movie in and they lay on the floor like they did years before. They were halfway through the second movie when Patrick sat up and pulled Petra up with him. She laid her head on his shoulder as he put his arm around hers and pulled her close. The movie ended and they both stood and stretched.

"I have a good time tonight Pet. It was nice to hang out like we used to."

"It was wasn't it?"

"Step one towards making things up to you."

He turned to leave the apartment and was stopped by Petra placing her hand on his shoulder. "Maybe you should stay here tonight. We polished off an entire bottle of wine and it's getting pretty late. I'll bring you an extra pillow for the sofa."

"I don't want to move us too fast Pet."

"How exactly is keeping you safe moving too fast?"

"Good point. I'll stay as long as I can take a quick shower. I still have some sushi rice in my hair from the flying sushi roll earlier."

"Fair enough. The shower pressure is better in my bathroom. Follow me."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for the reads guys! You know that you are keeping this story alive! Hope you are prepared for the next few chapters. Things are about to take a sharp left turn!


	9. Moving Too Fast

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SMUT SMUT SMUT!! There is a tiny little bit of smut in this chapter. If you do not wish to read it, feel free to skip over this chapter.

As Patrick followed Petra down the hallway, he couldn't help but look at her ass. It was still perfect. He did miss the sex that they had. He jerked his eyes away from her swaying behind quickly. He felt himself start to harden, and he knew that Petra wouldn't appreciate that since she wanted to move slow. She stopped abruptly in front of him and he accidentally ran into her backside. He swore internally. He just knew that she would feel his erection through their jeans. Luckily she either didn't feel it, or she was just avoiding the subject entirely.

"Let me get you a clean towel."

He nodded as she went back down the hall to the linen closet. By the time she had returned, he had the water running and was stripping off his shirt. He didn't notice Petra in the doorway until he had started to shimmy out of his jeans. She was frozen in place, staring at him with wide, lust-filled eyes. She snapped out of her trance and shook her head. "I uh. Sorry. Here's your towel."

"Thanks. I thought I would already be in the shower before you got back. Sorry."

"It's uh it's okay. I'm sorry that I stared."

"I know Pete's body is better than mine. You don't have to rub it in."

"I never said that first of all, secondly, I was staring because I forgot how goddamned beautiful you are Patrick."

He blushed and it traveled down his entire torso. He had forgotten the effect her words always had on him. He felt a bit emboldened by her and took a step forward. She didn't move away, so he took another step forward. He was inches away from her. One more small step forward and he gently reached up and stroked her cheek. She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes. Before they could stop themselves, they were locked in a passionate embrace. Both of them letting their hands roam the other's body. Their mouths met and their tongues fought for dominance. Patrick slid his hands under her shirt and caressed her bare back. She pulled away from him long enough to strip out of her shirt and jeans. Both stood and looked at each other clad only in their underwear.

With half-lidded eyes, Patrick pulled Petra to him and resumed the kiss. She let her hands roam his pale chest as his slid up her back to pull her closer to him. They broke the kiss, both breathing heavily. Patrick kept his eyes locked with hers as he slid his underwear down, freeing his erection. Petra blushed as she watched him finish disrobing. She hadn't felt this vulnerable since her first time. He smirked seeing her blush. She always made him feel so confident. He wasn't pudgy little Patrick with her. He was her best friend, her lover and the only one she wanted. She slid out of her panties and looked at him nervously. He smiled gently and took her hand, leading her into the still steamy shower.

They wrapped their arms around each other again and resumed their explorations of each other's bodies. They caressed each other like it was the first time. He reached down and slid one finger inside of her. She threw her head back and moaned. She tried in vain to stay quiet. The kids were asleep just down the hall. He shifted his fingers and she moaned again. She bit down on his shoulder to keep herself quiet. His thumb slid across her clit and she lost herself in her orgasm.

Before she could recover, he slid his hard cock inside of her quickly. She gasped and wrapped her legs around his waist as he started thrusting into her slowly. She bucked her hips as best as she could and dug her nails into his back. He understood her non-verbal cues and started thrusting faster.

"Fucking hell Pet. You're still as tight as you were. God you feel so good."

"Mmmmmm, you feel fantastic Trick. I'm so close. S-so close. Please fuck me. I need to cum so bad."

Listening to her beg for release almost caused him to lose it. He had forgotten the sounds she made when they made love. He thrusted into her harder, one hand slipping between them to tease her clit. She bit down on his other shoulder hard as she came fast and hard. Feeling her clenching around him was too much for him and he came hard, gritting his teeth to keep from yelling out her name.

As they came down from their respective orgasmic highs, they noticed that the water had cooled. Patrick helped Petra out of the shower, and began to towel them both off. He gently picked her up and carried her to bed. He turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm and pulled him into bed with her. He slid between the sheets with her and she laid her head on his chest. He was close to dozing off when she spoke.

"Well that completely fucked up the whole taking it slow thing."

He chuckled. "If you want, we can start that tomorrow. I didn't intend on pushing you into something you weren't ready for."

"Were you not in the room with me? I would have said no if I hadn't been ready. I guess I'm more ready than I thought I was."

"Pet, you don't have to do anything that you don't want to do."

"If I hadn't wanted to have amazing sex with you, then I wouldn't have. Now, shut up and go to sleep Trick."

"Are you pushier than you used to be? Because you seem pushier."

"Do you want me to kick you out of this bed?"

"I'd much rather stay in it with you."

"That was so saccharine that I almost got diabetes."

"Smart ass. I love you Pet."

"I love you too Trick. Goodnight."

"Goodnight love."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who is still reading this. Told ya there would be a left turn in the story. XD


	10. The Aftermath of Sex With Your Ex

The next morning, the couple was awoken by two small children climbing into bed with them. Petra looked around confused for a moment before she remembered the previous night.

"Daddy! Wake up! DAAAAADDY!"

"Yes, Jane. I'm awake."

"Why are you sleeping in mommy's bed?"

"Because I can."

"Very nice rationalization to a four-year-old Patrick."

"I don't have a good answer for her."

"Daddy, you're silly."

Petra sat up carefully, keeping her naked body covered. "Kids, go to the living room and we'll be in there in a few minutes."

"Okay, mommy!"

Both kids ran out of the room giggling. Petra and Patrick looked at each other and smiled. Their reverie was interrupted by someone bursting into her bedroom.

"So are you two back together?" Andy asked as he cocked his eyebrow.

"Nope. Just having sex." Patrick deadpanned.

Petra giggled. "Yes. What he said."

Andy shook his head. "You two probably need to figure all of this out. You don't want to get the kids' hopes up. They were pretty excited that you two were in the same bed together. At least they were happy that you two were still in the same house."

"That's a great idea, but could you get out of here? We're both still naked here." Patrick said.

Andy shook his head again and left the room. Patrick stood up first and stretched. Petra kept staring at his naked form. "You really are the most gorgeous man I know Trick."

"You really need your eyes checked Pet. I think you might need new glasses." He said as he entered the bathroom.

Petra slipped on her glasses. "Nope. Still gorgeous. You need to stop being so hard on yourself. You are a fantastic person, obvious things excluded. You are beyond attractive, and you are honestly the best guy ever."

Patrick emerged from the bathroom pulling his jeans on. "You give me way too much credit than I deserve babe."

She planted a quick kiss on his cheek as she pulled on her oversized sweater and fleece-lined leggings. "Maybe so, but I'm allowed to. We let old wounds fester for far too long, and I'm trying to get us back to how we were. That means you have to deal with the constant spirit uplifting that I do for you."

"As do you Pet. I really do want us back, and I will make things up to you."

She crossed the room and quickly hugged him. "I know you will. I'm still not ready to be a full couple yet, though."

"So we better make sure that we don't have sex again then."

"Oh, no, that part was great. I'm not saying that we can't have sex. I'm just saying that we need to repair our friendship first."

Patrick looked at her blankly. "So you want to keep having sex, but just be friends?"

"Honestly Patrick, I'm not sure what I want to do. I think we need to just let things progress naturally, and if we happen to have sex, then so be it. We shouldn't get all bent out of shape about it. I mean, we both know what the other likes, so why not? I enjoy sex and you enjoy sex, so why deny ourselves?"

"Okay, but I'm not to blame if we get in over our heads."

"Noted. Now, let's go feed the kids so Andy can take them to the zoo."

"I guess I should go home after breakfast."

"If you want to. I'm not gonna make you leave. I'm sure you have things to do, though. I know I have a column due tomorrow that I need to be working on."

"So I do need to leave."

"Are you trying to fuck me and run Stump?"

"No! I just don't want to hinder your life. You have things to do, and I probably should clean my house."

"You are a bit of a slob, so that doesn't surprise me. Do you want me to have Andy drop the kids off at your house after the zoo?"

"That's not a bad idea. You don't mind do you?"

"Not at all. They could use some daddy time."

"Sounds good to me." He leaned over and kissed her gently. "Would you like to come to my place for dinner tonight?"

"It's a date."

 

After breakfast, Petra started on her work. She was interrupted by frantic knocking on her door. "Alright, alright. I hear you! Calm down!"

She opened the door and Macy, Penny, and Margaret all shot inside the apartment.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" Macy exclaimed.

"Why did you sleep with him?" Margaret yelled.

"I'm so proud of you!" Penny shouted.

"Yes, come on in. Good to see you girls too." Petra replied sarcastically.

"I thought you were going to have him earn your trust again, not jump in bed with him!"

"Macy, calm down. She's a grown woman."

"I know that Penny! She also hopped back into bed with the man who destroyed her life!"

"Maybe she has a good reason for sleeping with Patrick."

"Yes, I do Margie. I wanted to."

"Good enough for me!" Penny said excitedly.

"You're daft as hell aren't you Penny?"

"Mace, don't jump on Penny just because she's on my side. Like it was said earlier, I'm a grown woman who makes her own decisions. I don't have to explain myself to anyone."

"Of course you don't. We're just worried about you. He did cause you a lot of heartbreak the last time that you two were together." Margie explained.

"I know he did, and we're working on our issues. We got caught up in the moment last night and everything felt so right. I missed him, I missed his body next to mine, I missed the feel of him. Hell, I missed sex with him. Yes, he hurt me, but we've finally been talking properly and last night felt good. I love him so much and I know that he loves me."

"As long as you keep your wits about you. I don't want you to get hurt like you did before."

"I am Macy. I'm not giving him the chance to hurt me like that again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize for the long wait on this one. I've got a ton of stories going all at once, and sometimes I get a little overwhelmed and over-worked. There's also the writer's block that has plagued me. I will get things back on track soon I promise! Thank you for reading my stories and enjoying them! I appreciate every read I get! Thank you thank you thank you!!!!


	11. Threatening, They're Not

Patrick had just finished straightening his apartment and was sitting down with his laptop when he heard incessant knocking on his door.

"I'm coming! Give me a freaking minute!"

When he opened the door, Andy, Joe, Pete and his kids charged inside. Andy sent the kids to their room after they hugged their daddy so the guys could talk.

"What the hell man?" Joe said.

"I'd like to know exactly what the hell it was that I walked in on earlier," Andy said deathly quietly.

"Dude!" Pete exclaimed happily.

"Three different reactions. I expected nothing less. Andy, what you saw this morning was the aftermath of sex between exes. Joe, I still love her and I'm going to do anything it takes to get her back, and Pete, I'm honestly lost as to why you're happy right now."

"What's not to be happy about? Penny and I are back together, you and short-stack are on your way back to reconciliation. I mean, damn man, life is good."

"If you two aren't together again, then why exactly are you having sex? That's really what I'm hung up on."

"Well, Joe, I think we got caught up in the moment last night, but it felt so right. We're still in love with each other, but I hurt her pretty badly, so she's not ready to call us a couple yet."

"So you're fuck buddies?"

"Apparently so Andy. She denied calling us that, but that's what it sounded like to me."

"Dude!"

"Pete, for fuck's sake, can you say anything else right now?"

"Fuck you, Andy. Is that better?"

"I'm surrounded by goddamned smart asses," Andy said pinching the bridge of his nose.

"That, my good man, is Fall Out Boy," Pete said.

Patrick rolled his eyes at his friends. "So why exactly are you guys here?"

"We wanted answers. Look, Petra is my only sister. The last time you two were together, you hurt her bad. We almost lost her to the depression, and it was your fault. Last time I joked about breaking your legs if you hurt her. This time it's not an idle fucking threat. I swear I will snap you in half like a twig if we have a repeat of last time."

"I know Andy. I promise on the heads of my children that what happened last time will not happen again. I love Petra, and I have been a colossal jackass to her, but I swear that I only want to be with her. My life is incomplete without her in it. I want to marry her and move her and the kids into a big house with a yard and everything. My head is totally on straight this time."

"So long as it is. Andy may be her brother, but she's like a sister to me, and I'll have no problems dismembering you if that shit happens again." Joe warned sternly.

"I get it. Don't fuck up this time." Patrick replied with exasperation.

"As long as we're clear on that. None of us want to go through that again. We all hated seeing Petra like that."

"I know Andy. I wish I could take back what I've done, but I can't. I can only move forward. Now, can you guys either sit down and hang out for a bit or leave? I have dinner plans with Petra and the kids tonight, and I have some work to get done before that happens."

"Dinner again? It's not going to lead to more sex is it?"

"I highly doubt it, Pete."

"I was just wondering. I was going to offer to take the twins for the night. Bronx and Josh would love to see them."

"I don't think Petra would mind, but I haven't seen the kids much in the last few days. However, it would be nice to have some alone time with Petra. Do you think you could bring them back after Petra leaves tonight?"

"Sure man. I think you need to have the time with her. Make tonight really special. Take her out on a date. Be romantic. Show her that you're willing to work for this relationship."

"Pete's right, you need to show Petra how much she means to you." Joe agreed.

"Thanks, guys. Why don't you stay for a bit and hang out?"

"Sounds good to me," Andy said.

"Me too."

"Sorry, I've gotta take a rain check. Macy will pull my head off if I don't get back home and help her with the kids and with dinner."

As the guys said their goodbyes to Joe, Patrick pulled out his phone and shot a text to Petra, letting her know that they would be dining alone. He really hoped that she would be okay with the new plans. He was trying to play it cool, but in reality, he wanted to spend the night with Petra again. He wanted to make her see that they truly belonged together and that he would do anything to make things right between them again.. He didn't want to inadvertently push her away, though. He would figure out exactly what to do while Andy and Pete were still there.

Petra had just gotten out of the shower when she heard her phone ding. She quickly read the text and smiled. Apparently, Pete had convinced Patrick to let him take the kids for the night. She was going to get some alone time with Patrick. God, she missed being around him. She truly missed being with him, but she was still very hesitant around him. Sure they had slept together, but that had been a moment of passion that they both desperately needed. Maybe she was moving too quickly with him.

She toweled off and began dressing for the night. As she pulled on her underwear and bra, she couldn't help but get excited. She still loved spending time with Patrick even if she didn't fully trust her heart to him anymore. He was like a drug to her, and she enjoyed being a junkie. All she could do was hope that things would work out this time between the two of them.

Patrick scurried around his apartment finishing his last minute plans. Pete and the kids had just left, and that gave him precious few minutes to finish the last little bit of cleaning he needed to do. He didn't want Petra to spend the night in a disaster zone. He had decided to take Petra out to one of their favorite restaurants for dinner. He hoped to close the night with a nice walk around the park and then hopefully, back at his place for a glass of wine possibly. He really wanted the night to go well. He wanted to impress Petra and make her understand that he wouldn't hurt her again. He heard a knock on the door just as he finished straightening up. He sauntered confidently to the door and opened it with a big smile.

"Hey Pet. Wow. You look fantastic."

"Thanks. You look great yourself."

"Thank you. Come on in for a sec while I get my shoes on."

"What do you need shoes for?"

"Well, I'm taking you out tonight instead of trying to cook for you. You know I'm not too great of a cook."

She chuckled. "Okay, that sounds nice."

"I'm glad you think so. Come on Pet, let's go."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swear I'm trying to update regularly. I've had such writer's block lately that it's not even funny. I'm about to figure out a good schedule to update so I can get everything either caught up or finished. I swear I'm not abandoning any of my stories. Thank you all for the reads and reviews. I hope to see more interaction from everyone who reads my stories. I love you all!!

**Author's Note:**

> Sequel to Don't You See How I Worship You. Enjoy!


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